Wanda clung tightly to Lucas, rubbing her cheek against his chest like a kitten marking its territory.
"Well, if the Ancient One sent you… looks like you really did learn a lot."
The fiery portal vanished.
Time resumed its flow.
Gwen and Skye immediately saw Wanda—and pounced.
"WANDA! You're back!!"
They dragged her straight out of Lucas' arms for a three-way hug.
Wanda laughed happily and explained why she had returned.
Soon the three girls and Natasha entered the elevator together.
Lucas raised a hand.
"Cloak—looks like this'll be our first official mission together."
The cloak swooped to him instantly, wrapping itself around him.
Two golden clasps clicked shut over his chest—golden light flashed—and Lucas' black-and-gold long robe materialized, giving him the aura of a celestial immortal descending to earth.
Moments later, Gwen and the others returned from upstairs in full gear:
Black-and-white Ghost Spider, emerald-and-black Quake, and the deep crimson Scarlet Witch.
Three beauties, three styles—each dazzling in her own way.
"Let's go. The Quinjet is already waiting," Natasha said.
But Gwen tugged her back.
"No need—we'll take our plane."
Everyone rode the elevator to the rooftop, where a multicolored, custom-painted Quinjet awaited.
They boarded, and under Skye's control the jet rose smoothly into the air.
"Where to?" Skye asked.
Natasha patched into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secure network.
Coordinates appeared on the display—not to the Helicarrier, but to a small location in Brazil.
"Director, Lucas has agreed. We're already en route," Natasha reported.
Fury's bald head popped onto the screen.
The moment he saw Lucas had joined the mission, he finally exhaled in relief.
---
Brazil – The Hidden Scientist
The Quinjet descended near a slum.
Lucas took one look and immediately knew who they were here for—
Only one particular genius-turned-monster would hide somewhere like this.
Following Natasha, they entered a safehouse arranged by S.H.I.E.L.D.
Brazil's slums were shockingly impoverished—many homes didn't even have windows.
Natasha soon found a little girl, handed her some money, and had her guide someone over.
In places like this, danger meant nothing.
Poverty was the true killer—and money cured all hesitation.
They waited openly.
Natasha originally planned to hide everyone until Banner arrived, but with Lucas present, there was no need.
Even if the Hulk exploded, Lucas and the girls could suppress him before he blinked.
Soon the little girl returned—with a thin, nervous man behind her.
Dr. Bruce Banner stepped inside, saw Lucas and Natasha—and his face went pale.
He instantly turned to flee.
"Dr. Banner, wait. We're not here to capture you," Natasha called. "We need your help."
She handed him a tablet.
Banner hesitated, eyeing Lucas.
It was Lucas and Tony who had let him escape last time.
Now… he needed to see Lucas' stance.
Lucas nodded.
"It's fine, Bruce. No one's here to arrest you. I guarantee it."
Only then did Banner cautiously accept the tablet.
The footage showed Loki stealing the Tesseract.
Banner knew exactly how dangerous that cube was.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked.
He didn't believe he could help—Hulk rarely helped anyone.
If the green idiot didn't smash everything within reach, that already counted as a miracle.
"You'll hear the details at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters," Natasha replied.
Then she asked gently,
"Dr. Banner… how much control do you have over the Hulk now?"
Banner lifted an eyebrow.
"If I say I can't control him… are you going to lock me in a cage?"
"No one wants to lock you away," Natasha said quickly.
CRASH!!
Banner slammed both hands onto the table.
The tablet shattered instantly.
Natasha nearly jumped out of her skin.
She drew her gun on instinct and didn't dare breathe.
Gwen and Skye both flinched—only Wanda remained calm.
Banner raised both hands peacefully.
"See? I think I'm doing pretty well. He's not even trying to come out."
Lucas noted that this time—unlike in the movie—there was no special forces team outside.
But they didn't need one.
Lucas and the girls alone outclassed an entire battalion.
Natasha holstered her gun, exhaling shakily.
"Then… Dr. Banner, will you join us?"
Banner looked at Lucas again, then nodded.
"I'll come. But if Hulk loses control, you have to stop him."
With that settled, everyone boarded Lucas' Quinjet again—next stop: S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
---
Fury vs. the World Security Council
Fury was drowning in chaos.
He had agents searching the globe for Loki and the Tesseract, while simultaneously dealing with endless interrogations from the World Security Council.
At that moment, he stood in a video-conference chamber before five massive screens.
Five blurred silhouettes were yelling at him.
"You've crossed the line, Fury. You're dealing with lunatics!"
The speaker was a man, though none of them permitted their faces to be shown.
Fury stood with hands casually behind his back.
"Has any of you ever seen actual combat? Real war? Gunfire and blood?"
Silence.
Of course not.
They were politicians—experts in pushing pens, manipulating systems, and starting wars for resources.
But real soldiers? Never.
After a long pause, the same man spoke again:
"You truly believe this so-called 'Asgardian' intends to go to war with all of us?"
"I need to correct you," Fury said flatly.
"Not Asgard. Prince Loki. One man."
"You expect us to believe an Asgardian prince can declare war alone? Who is his accomplice?"
This time, a woman's voice cut in.
Fury's one eye narrowed slightly.
And the room fell silent again, awaiting his answer.
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